Chapter Twenty-Nine
Crimson strode out of the lower deck cabin, the door creaking shut behind him.
Above deck, Lilith gripped the ship's wheel tightly, her knuckles white as the wind whipped her hair around her face. Her eyes were fixed on the endless expanse of clouds in the sky, but her thoughts churned harder than the sea.
What the hell happened to them while I was out?
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the footsteps approaching until a hand gently brushed against hers. Startled, she jerked her hand back, spinning to face the intruder.
It was just Crimson.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed at her reaction.
Lilith blinked, her heartbeat still racing. "Yes... I'm fine," she said quickly, though her tone betrayed her unease.
Crimson leaned against the railing beside her, studying her closely. "You sure? You seem... distracted."
Lilith exhaled, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I'm fine, Crimson," she repeated, more firmly this time.
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Look, now that we finally have some time alone, there's something I've been meaning to say."
Lilith glanced at him, unsure where this was going.
"I'm sorry," he began, his voice unusually soft. "For not coming back like I promised. I should have been there to get you and the others out of Alpha Dawn."
Lilith's grip on the wheel loosened slightly, her expression unreadable. "Forget about that," she said quietly, her voice tinged with frustration. "What's done is done."
Crimson shook his head. "No, I mean it. I failed you—"
"Crimson, stop," she cut him off, turning to face him fully. "What I really need to know is what happened while I was out. Miles is not himself.
Crimson ran a hand through his jet-brown hair, glancing away. "It's... complicated," he admitted. "But if you want the whole story, you're going to need to sit down for this."
Lilith folded her arms, her gaze unwavering. "I'm fine standing. Start talking."
Crimson sighed, looking out over the clouds. "Alright. But you're not going to like what you hear."
Miles stirred in the cramped cabin, his breath ragged as he squirmed on the bed. His eyelids fluttered, and fragmented visions filled his mind like a waking nightmare.
He saw him—Grey. That unsettling grin stretched across his face as he raised a severed head high, the blood dripping in thick rivulets. The face on the head blurred in Miles' mind, a horrifying blend of two people he cared about. For a fleeting moment, it was Laurel—her features contorted in fear. But no, it wasn't her. The realization hit him like a dagger to the chest.
It was Idris.
Idris had worn Laurel's face over his like a mask. Miles's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms as the gruesome vision looped again and again in his mind: the severed head, the triumphant grin, the unshakable taunt.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, wide with terror.
"No!" he gasped, his body jolting upright. Disoriented and drenched in cold sweat, he tumbled off the bed with a loud thud.
"Ow!" Miles yelped, Squirming on the wooden floor.
Above deck, Crimson and Lilith turned toward the sound echoing from the lower cabin. Crimson arched an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, looks like he is awake."
Lilith shot him a quick glare. "I'll go check on him."
Crimson's smirk faded, replaced by a wary look. "Be careful," he warned, his voice low and serious. "He doesn't seem like himself."
Lilith hesitated, her hand gripping the railing. "I'll handle it," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the unease flickering in her eyes.
Crimson shook his head and leaned against the mast, crossing his arms. "Just don't let your guard down."
As Lilith descended the narrow stairs to the lower deck, the creaking wood beneath her feet mirrored the tension coiling in her chest. She steeled herself, ready for whatever state she'd find Miles in